This is absolutely horrific — and especially so because it truly could happen to anybody.
A teenager in New England was forced to undergo multiple amputations after eating a roommate’s leftover chicken and noodle dish from the refrigerator — and quickly thereafter developing what is being termed as a “devastating” case of sepsis.
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According to viral news reports, the case involved a 19-year-old man only identified as “JC.” It was first reported in the New England Journal of Medicine back in March of 2021, although it recently went viral around the world after the story was picked up and reported on by a medical oddities YouTube channel.
Per the report, the student “immediately” began to feel ill after eating the leftovers of a chicken and noodle dish that his friend had bought from a restaurant the night before. JC experienced a strong stomachache and nausea at first — and then his skin started to turn purple. The report stated:
“The patient had been well until 20 hours before this admission when diffuse abdominal pain and nausea developed after he ate rice, chicken, and lo mein leftovers from a restaurant meal. Five hours before this admission, purplish discoloration of the skin developed, and a friend took the patient to the emergency department of another hospital for evaluation.”
Alarmed, a friend took him to the hospital, where he developed an extremely high temperature and his heart reportedly began to beat as high as 166 beats per minute. He soon began to suffer kidney failure and blood clots, as his body became ravaged by the issue.
The journal report further explained:
“Multiple episodes of emesis occurred, with vomitus that was either bilious or red-brown. The abdominal pain and vomiting were followed by the development of chills, generalized weakness, progressively worsening diffuse myalgias, chest pain, shortness of breath, headache, neck stiffness, and blurry vision.”
Doctors quickly sedated the man, and quickly determined that he was suffering from sepsis, a condition in which harmful bacteria invade the body and cause a devastating response — everything from organ failure to death.
With it having spread to his limbs, the medical professionals took action, and amputated both of his legs below the knees. They also amputated “parts of all 10 fingers” to limit the possibly fatal effects of the infection.
OMG…
According to Newsweek, the man was later transported to the pediatric intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital with a “rapidly progressive reticular rash.”
NEJM researchers noted that the man’s friend ate the same leftovers and threw up once — but did not get nearly as sick. The journal further theorizes that the hospitalized man’s (lack of) vaccination history may have played a part in the severity of the sickness, noting:
“[The patient] had only received one of three doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine without a booster, and had also only had one dose of the serogroup B meningococcal vaccine out of two or three doses recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Yet another reminder to take vaccinations. It’s about protecting yourself!
Here’s more specifics of the case from the viral video that first picked up the NEJM story late last week (below):
Wow.
Such a scary situation all around. Always remember to refrigerate your food quickly after eating if you intend to have leftovers later… and for Pete’s sake, get vaccinated!
[Image via Chubbyemu/YouTube]
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